Nutrition Medical Education Grants

Photo by Pavalache Stelian, courtesy of Dreamstime

How can digital technology help teach children and families about nutrition? Which approaches are most effective for specific conditions such as obesity and celiac disease? How best to distribute new learning tools and track which patients use them?

The Lawson Centre supports two projects that aim to answer these questions about e-learning for nutrition and health.

Centre educators and researchers have created and are evaluating new digital learning tools for young patients and their families, including interactive programs and videos, in partnership with clinicians, dietitians, IT experts and patients in the Toronto area.

Learn more about these projects below.

Online Education for Gluten-Free Diet Teaching

Development and Usability Testing of an E-Learning Module for Children with Concurrent Celiac Disease and Type 1 Diabetes.

Principal InvestigatorCatharine Walsh

OverviewCeliac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged through gluten consumption, making it hard for the body to absorb nutrients. Up to 16 per cent of children with type 1 diabetes also develop celiac disease. This life-long condition is treated by removing gluten from the diet — for life.

When children are diagnosed with celiac disease they receive one-on-one education regarding the gluten-free diet from dietitians; however, this type of education uses a lot of resources.

Professor Walsh and her team will try to determine if an interactive online learning module may be an effective way to educate children and their families about the gluten-free diet. This tool could allow them to access information from home when needed and use the online module to educate other people, such as teachers and babysitters, who may contribute to meal preparation and supervision. This online tool would also help to improve the cost-effectiveness of celiac disease education.

Educational Nutrition Videos for Children

Development and Evaluation of Interactive Educational Nutrition Videos for Children and Adolescents

Project OverviewThere is a dire lack of nutrition education that is easily accessible to children, adolescents and their families in a readily consumable format. Professor Hamilton and her colleagues have developed pediatric-focused, digital solutions that combine the best clinical practices in pediatric dietetics with cutting-edge technologies to support children and adolescents in achieving their health goals.

Our researchers have created education videos based on high-priority and relevant nutrition topics, by conducting focus groups with children, adolescents, parents/caregivers and health care providers. They will strive to reach a large audience through hospitals, clinics, community centres, schools and popular online forums. They will also evaluate the effectives of these videos through viewer feedback questionnaires and knowledge assessment tools.